Back in March 2025, Mayor Garcia announced that beginning July 1, 2025, a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) policy will be implemented. The purpose of the policy is to bring in a portion of the money a tax-exempt property (for example, properties owned by non-profit organizations and quasi-public institutions) would pay were it not … Continued
HOLYOKE — City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary has announced the lineup for the upcoming Preliminary and Municipal Elections. The deadline for submitting nomination papers to get on the November 4, 2025, Municipal Election ballot was Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The ballot signals Preliminary races in Wards 1 and 5. Preliminary races occur when more than … Continued
On June 23, the City Council convened in a Special meeting to review and vote on the Mayor’s proposed FY26 budget. Click to review final approved budget for FY26 in detail. In this phase of the budget process, the City Council can cut but can not add to the budget. The council made $148,838 worth of cuts which includes: $25,000 … Continued
From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia: On June 23, the City Council convened in a Special meeting to review and vote on the Mayor’s proposed FY26 budget. I will have a clean version of the updated budget on the city website soon. In this phase of the budget process, the City Council can cut but can not add … Continued
During the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 3rd, councilors unanimously voted to open the budget hearing on June 9th to members of the public to weigh in on the proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year. Prior to the final hearing of questions that councilors will ask of city departments, residents will be invited … Continued
State of the City Address The public is invited to observe at the upcoming Special City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 6pm where I, Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, will be delivering the proposed FY26 City Budget and sharing the State of the City Address. Mayor’s Budget Narrative The proposed FY26 City of Holyoke budget reflects current revenue … Continued
At an April City Council meeting an order was taken up and forwarded to appropriate committees (Charter and Rules Committee and Ordinance Committee) along with a 20 page document introducing a suite of changes to the city ordinances and city charter. These changes specifically aim to modernize and achieve efficiencies in how financial resources are managed. The … Continued
A policy designed to gain revenue from tax-exempt property owners was presented to a City Council subcommittee Tuesday. Known as a PILOT — Payment in Lieu of Taxes — the purpose of the policy is to bring in a portion of the money a tax-exempt property (for example, properties owned by non-profit organizations and quasi-public institutions) would … Continued
The new budget preparation season is here! A memo to all departments with instructions for the FY26 budget planning process was distributed today. To review memo click here. While departments work on their first draft budget requests, just like in previous years, the Mayor will be connecting with City Councilors one-on-one to go over their objectives … Continued
FAQ: Special Election on January 28, 2025 On January 28, 2025, Holyoke voters will participate in a special election to decide whether the City Treasurer should continue to be an elected position or become a position appointed by the City Council. This document provides answers to common questions and explains the context and rationale behind … Continued
